Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1887-09-30

ing The night wore on; the gaslights
fiIckered down the long street like torch
light procession; the trucks had long
since ceased their rumble over the cob
blestoaes. Eight, ., 10 o'clock came
and the bell was not rung The air was
getting chilly Mrs. Rogers wrapped a
shawl around her shoulders and fell
asleep from utter weariness.
At about $50 o'clock man Of 80
years had stopped at a candy stand at
the corner Of Ann street and Park row
a ld bought five round pieces OF candy
callfd Jackson balls. At stand near
the big bridge four big blushng peaches
wer placed in paper bag and handed
to him. While standing in front Of the
Coroners office waiting for truck to
pass by, a very sohd hand came down
upon ms shoulder and a hearty voice sa-
lutel him with:
Hello, Billy, old boy How in thun-
der are youl Haven't seen you in a
dogs age. Where do you keep yourself
nowadaysl Married, ehl and got two
little chiIdren Well, well, how pater-
nal you do look Let's 20 and have a
driak. Youain'ta Prohibitionist, | hopel'
mo, but"
oh, never mind the butts. A glass
Of sherry wont hurt YOU
And, yielding to the persuasion Of his
old friend, Tom Barker, who had been
over on the Pacific slope for the past
five years, Billy went into the saloon and
plghted his friendship in glass Of
yellow wine. Now, it happened that
Billy had been a very dissipated fellow
before his marriage lie had gone on
sprees for week at a time, but during
the five years OF his welded life not a
dr3p Of liquor had passed his lips. That
one glass Of wine fired his pulses with
the old intoxicating glow The wistful
faces Of his children and the horrible
Suspense Of his wife were forgotten in
TIE magic spell The two men drank
dep, drank oft They visited all heir old
tile resorts, and became very elusive and
aIectionate in a maudlil way. At 3
oiteek they were in Harlem saloon,
tIqting all hands and shouting in such
a isor ierly way that the saloon keeper
a. 9bliged to put them out upon the
X. Then they got on Third
Aevated train and rode to the
Here the conductor lugged
s out on the platform while
et in very inarticulate
& 4 they marched through
E lie the conductor expressed
that neither Of them had been
Z the Fourth ward in his life.
aoak found them on Twenty-third
yoet in very sorry plight Tom stood
with his feet wide apart and leaning
agairst a lampp st. Billy stood in front
Of him with his forefnger raised,
Les play s'a'ny sci, Tom. VII be
SCI, I'll be t'chr Ar y on t me, oil
felw
Tom blinked spaslnodically and
swayed from side to side like hen on a
clothes line in windy day His hat
fell off and rolled into the gutter Tom
held up his right hanl.
"T'c chr, kin g outP
"Wha' for2"
Hat fell out W nd'r."
"Ye'.l both av yez 90 afore tn Jedge
in tn moraia' ay ycz don't move on, :"
sal a burly policeman who struck both
men some smart flows across the back
with his club and pushed them toward
Broadway. At O'Clock they were
sleeping off the effects Of the spree in a
Bowery lodging house
When Billy awoke at O'Clock that
evening with headache that threatened
to crack lis skull and throat which
seemed to be lined with lime. he was
overcome with lemorse. He knew that
his children wauld be waiting for him at
the foot Of the stairs In fancy he could
see Bou,ahs wistful blue eyes scanning
every face as it ! assed by He would
have started Immediately, filled as he
was with contritioa, but Tom persuaded
him TO have one more parting drink
This drink was supplemented with an
other. Then Tom suggested that Billy
should try shandygatf To put a
whiskey sour and shandygaff into jux-
opposition usually is disastrous as was
proved in this case. Toms fertile brain
suggested other liquid mixtures, and the
spree continued all day, and ended in
ooth men being locked up in the Tombs
The next morning Tom and Billy
we're brought be ore Judge Duffy, who
= |tN4CA q Altkly lENtutt On llE tFIIS OIL
intemperance, advised Billy to 60 home
to his wife and children, and discharged
them. Billy felt the disgrace Of his ar
rest very keenly, lut Tom cheercd him
with the remark that no one had recog-
nlzed him. Billy wanted to start for
home Immediately, but Tom per suadcd
him to 60 to hotel, from whence his
clothes were sent out to be
cleaned and pressed, his high
hat was neatly blocked, and his
face shaved While waiting for his
clothes Billy chewed cloves and other
aromatic spices all day for prudential
reasons.
At 5 o'clock Billy came out of the ho-
tel looking much the same as usual. His
nerves were a trifis shaky, and dark cir
lcles environed his eyes. He and Tom
went to the candy stand at the corner
Of Ann street, where Billy bought five
more jackson balls. lie also purchased
tca peaches each one Of which was lar